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Hamilton wins chaotic GP while Kimi finishes 3rd |
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Sunday, 30 September 2007 |
 Lewis Hamilton moved a major step closer to clinching the drivers'
title by winning a Kimi: "The car was set up for the dry, so it wasn't perfect for the wet."
Heikki Kovalainen took a
composed second place for Renault ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn had to pit early for full wet tires as the two Ferraris were the only 2 cars to start on intermediates...
{mos_sb_discuss:1}
Track conditions were so wet as the cars made their way to the grid
that the 67-lap race was started behind the safety car. Ferrari tried
to throw a big gamble by starting Massa on intermediate tyres, but the
Brazilian spun off on the first lap. He rejoined and pitted for full
wets. Ferrari tried to start Raikkonen on the intermediate tyres too -
hoping the track would be dry when the safety car came in, but he too
was forced to take on full wets as conditions remained so treacherous
on lap three.
The procession behind the safety car continued
until the FIA judged conditions to be safe enough to start the racing
proper. Ferrari threw another gamble on lap 14 when it looked like the
safety car may be out until the end of the race - fuelling up the Finn
so that he could rejoin the tail of the field and then pass everyone
else while they refuel later in the race. The team replicated the
strategy on lap 15 with Felipe Massa - hopeful of scooping up the race
win from the back of the field - should the majority of the race be run
behind the safety car.
Lewis Hamilton continued to lead Alonso
at the front with Heidfeld third, Button fourth, Webber fifth, Vettel
sixth, Kubica seventh and Fisichella eighth.
Ferrari's gamble
looked less likely to pay off on lap 19 when the safety car pulled into
the pits and the race resumed with Alonso right on Hamilton's tail.
Wurz lost control of his Williams under braking for turn one and
clipped Felipe Massa. The Austrian retired but Massa continued, only to
serve a drive-through penalty on the next lap for overtaking under the
safety car.
Nick Heidfeld was the big loser in the race
re-start, dropping to tenth meanwhile Vettel was up to third in the
Toro Rosso ahead of Webber, Button, Fisichella, Kovalainen and Kubica.
Fernando
Alonso was the first McLaren to pit on lap 27 and Hamilton was in on
the next lap releasing Vettel in the Toro Rosso into the race lead.
Hamilton rejoined the race well ahead of Alonso, who hit a train of
traffic on his out-lap and also ran wide at one point.
Both
McLarens seemed uncomfortable after their pit stops and surprisingly
slow as Alonso and Hamilton were struggling to stay on track and losing
positions in tangles with other cars.
The championship took a
dramatic twist on lap 41 as Alonso lost control of his McLaren on the
exit of turn five and smashed into the walls at turn six causing the
safety car to be deployed again. Rival Lewis Hamilton was in the lead
ahead of Webber and Vettel.
There was more drama behind the
safety car on lap 46 when Vettel ran into the back of Mark Webber
sending both Red Bull-owned cars out of the race and podium positions.
The race resumed on lap 48 with Hamilton leading Kovalainen, Massa, Coulthard, Fisichella, Heidfeld, Raikkonen and Barrichello.
Lap 58 - Ferrari pitted Felipe Massa from third, allowing Raikkonen to move up to third after having passed David Coulthard.
Lewis
Hamilton went through to secure the win and a major advantage in the
drivers' championship with just two races remaining. Heikki Kovalainen
drove a composed race to make up nine positions from his grid slot to
take second place - a career best with Kimi Raikkonen salvaging third.
David
Coulthard scooped up fourth for Red Bull Racing as some consolation for
the earlier clash between the Red Bull and Toro Rosso of Webber and
Vettel while Fisichella confirmed a good result for Renault in fifth.
Felipe
Massa won a sixth place finish in a major tussle with Robert Kubica on
the final lap while in eighth Tonio Liuzzi took Toro Rosso's first
point of the season in eighth.
1. HAMILTON McLaren 2h00m34.759s
2. KOVALAINEN Renault +8.3s
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +9.4s
4. COULTHARD Red Bull +20.2s
5. FISICHELLA Renault +38.8s
6. MASSA Ferrari +49.0s
7. KUBICA BMW +49.2s
8. LIUZZI Toro Rosso +55.6s
9. SUTIL Spyker +60.1s
10. BARRICHELLO Honda +88.3s
11. BUTTON Honda +1 lap
12. YAMAMOTO Spyker +1 lap
13. TRULLI Toyota +1 lap
14. HEIDFELD BMW +2 laps
15. SATO Super Aguri +2 laps
R. SCHUMACHER Toyota +12 laps
R. DAVIDSON Super Aguri +13 laps
R. ROSBERG Williams +18 laps
R. VETTEL Toro Rosso +21 laps
R. WEBBER Red Bull +22 laps
R. ALONSO McLaren +25 laps
R. WURZ Williams +48 laps
Fastest lap: MASSA 1m28.193s (lap 27)
source: f1.gpupdate.net
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